Love in the Wild
by SSAEmilyHotchner
Summary: Oneshot. When Hotch plans a camping trip for himself and Emily, and everything seems to go wrong, will he be able to redeem himself and make it worthwhile? Or will his carefully made plans fall short? Written for EvelynnHotchner's prompt, "camping trip".


**Author's Note: **Looking for something both sexy and full of fluff? Then you're in the right place. Shoutout to _EvelynnHotchner_, who was reviewer #240 for 'Daddy's Little Girl'. I was kind of antsy as to whether or not I'd be able to come up with something good enough for the prompt, but I really did enjoy writing this story; I hope you will enjoy reading it as well! Anyway, thank you all so much; I really appreciate it! :)****

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.**

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><p>"How I let you convince me into going camping, I'll never know."<p>

A smirk hinted at the corners of Hotch's lips. "I thought you loved being out in the wild. Didn't you used to camp out with your grandfather in France?"

"Yes, but…" Emily shook her head, "that was different."

"Was it?" Hotch countered stubbornly, playfully pulling her in an embrace as she climbed out of the four-wheel drive they had brought. "How so?"

"His cabin was always in pristine condition, and stocked with shelves and shelves of books. And he had this little portable radio…" Emily's voice trailed away at the memories. Still in Hotch's arms, she rolled her eyes amusedly as he began to suck on the sensitive skin below her ear. "Why are we even here?" she asked, already exasperated.

"Baby, you've asked that same question at least twenty times."

She arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "And your point is?"

Hotch bit back yet another smirk. "We're here as a sort of trust-building exercise," he reminded. "No electronics; just good, old fashioned face-to-face interaction and conversation."

"But I already trust you, Aaron," Emily said in return, turning so that their lips could meet in a short kiss. "I trust you with my life; it's a necessity out in the field. Which is why I don't see the point in you organizing this…_trip, _and in us being here," she added flatly.

"I've had some of the best times in my life while out camping," he countered, his voice softening imperceptibly. "Besides, you can't put all the blame on me; _I'm _not the one who forced you to come along. That was all JJ."

"True, true," Emily conceded, smiling a little as Hotch brushed an errant strand of hair from her face. Unconsciously, and though she was still put off by their surroundings, she leaned into the small embrace. "But speaking of JJ, _where _is she? And Will, for that matter. I could have sworn that they were right behind us."

His eyebrows furrowing, Hotch craned his neck to peer down the trail from which they had just came. "They were," he confirmed. "They're probably just lost, though."

"Probably." She glanced over her shoulder at the shady little cabin they would be staying in. "So, uh…do we want to start bringing our stuff inside?" she asked reluctantly.

Hotch squeezed her shoulder. "That sounds like a great idea." Together, they got their bags and a cooler from the bed of the truck. They were heading towards the cabin's entrance when a sound came from their satellite phones.

"Hotch? Emily?"

Setting down the cooler, Emily took the phone from her hip. "Jayje? What's going on, where are you?"

The blonde's voice came over the line once more. "That's just the thing; we don't really know. All we see are trees. And the main road we all drove down on. Where did you two exit?"

Emily turned to Hotch, a question dancing in her eyes. "Aaron?" she prompted.

Emily spent the next several minutes watching as Hotch paced before their cabin, speaking animatedly as he tried giving directions to Will, to no avail. Finally, JJ's frazzled voice returned.

"If you two don't mind, Will and I think we're just going to head back," JJ conceded, and Emily could easily visualize the blonde running a hand through her hair in frustration. "We honestly have no idea where we are."

Hotch made no protest, however. "Alright," he said resignedly. "Get home safely. And call us if you need anything."

"We will, thanks."

And then, the line went dead.

Emily strode on over, her hands resting comfortably in the pockets of her cargo pants. "Well…it looks like it's just you and me."

Hotch smiled. "My id could have so much fun with that."

As much as she tried to suppress it, an uncharacteristic giggle slipped past her lips. "If I didn't know better, I would say that you purposefully made it so that JJ and Will would not ultimately join us." Mere inches from him now, Emily wrapped her arms snugly around his waist and pressed a kiss to his collarbone. "But _I guess_ I know better."

"You do know better," Hotch agreed. "Yes, it would have been nice to have them here. But, that being said, I am absolutely confident that you and I can make the best out these next three days." He gazed into her still disbelieving eyes. "We're going to have so much fun, sweetheart; just you wait."

She let him cover her mouth in an all-consuming kiss. "If you say so, Aaron."

~.~.~

Hotch found Emily curled up in a ball by the window of the cabin's main room. They had long since gotten settled in, but it still came as a surprise to her when she looked up to see him hovering over her, a bag of food and a lighter in his hands.

"It's beautiful out, isn't it?"

Emily couldn't deny it; surrounded by thick green firs and neighboring a freshwater stream, it was really a gorgeous sight.

And they had yet to watch the sun set.

"It is," she agreed quietly, her eyes bright. Her hands ran over her exposed legs idly; wearing her favorite pair of shorts and a plain teeshirt, she couldn't have been more comfortable. More…at home. She nodded toward the food he was holding. "What's in the bag?"

Hotch couldn't help but don a mysterious smile. "Dessert for later tonight." He opened the bag and bared its contents to her curious gaze; graham crackers, marshmallows, and milk chocolate.

Suddenly, the lighter made much more sense.

_S'mores._

"Mmmm, s'mores," Emily hummed contentedly. "You read my mind. And do we _really_ have to wait until later?" she asked playfully.

"Yes, unfortunately," he teased. "_But_, there is something we could do to pass the time."

Emily's playful grin turned into something more sultry. "And what would that be, Agent Hotchner?"

Hotch smirked at her assuming tone. "Swimming, Em. We could go swimming in the stream right outside."

She looked at him incredulously. "Swimming? But we didn't bring our -"

"So?" Hotch grinned boyishly and pulled her to her feet. "I'll race you out there."

And at that, he dashed out the door.

Emily barely had time to glance down at her 'house-clothes' and deem them acceptable for swimming before she dashed out the door as well, determined to beat Hotch there. She didn't know where the middle-school racing mentality came from; but it was fun, and she _needed_ fun.

Several squeals, screams, and splashes later, both Hotch and Emily were drenched, head to toe. Hotch swam up beside her in the deep-enough water and tickled her leg playfully, laughing when she squirmed. "See? Isn't this nice?"

Moving so that she could float on her back in the cool water, Emily gaze upward, toward the blinding sun. It was almost night, based on the colors which began to paint the sky. Taking hold of Hotch's hand, she gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's very nice," she agreed, letting her eyes fall shut. "Though I can't imagine how the rest of this camping trip will go, at least we'll have this."

"And s'mores."

She chuckled. "Yes, and s'mores. Lots and lots of s'mores."

Hotch looked at her intently. "If it takes all three days, I will prove to you that camping can indeed be a wonderful experience. Like tomorrow, we can go for a walk along the trails or maybe even do some hiking, if you're game. Then we could picnic somewhere...maybe make a fire and sit around it and tell stories."

Emily danced her toes along the rock-covered bottom of the stream. "Sounds like something Jack would have enjoyed," she noted. "Why didn't you bring him along?"

Hotch watched as the orange-hued sun reflected on the ripples of water around him. "Jessica wanted to take him to visit his grandparents," he said quietly. "And...maybe I wanted to have some alone time with you."

Her eyes sparkled with mirth. "So you _did_ arrange it so that JJ and Will would turn back home!"

The corners of his lips twitched. "I'll never tell," he said simply. Slowly, he brought a hand up to cup her cheek. He didn't pull her in for a hug; he didn't draw her into a kiss; he didn't caress her sides or whisper sweet things in her ears. Not now, he didn't. Instead, he simply gazed into her eyes and gave her a meaningful smile. "Emily, there are so many things I wish I could convey to you right now," he said, his voice dropping from quiet to barely above a whisper. "You mean so much to me...to Jack, too. Over the years, you've steadily become a more and more significant part in both of our lives, and -"

However, his sweet dialogue was interrupted by an odd shuffling from Emily. She looked at him sympathetically as she bent down beneath the water to scratch at her legs. "I'm sorry, Aaron, there's something on my leg," she said tightly, confusion etched on her fine features.

"Want to get out of the water?"

"Yeah, just for a second."

But when she did, a shocked scream replaced the shuffling.

There, on both of her legs, were leeches.

Emily's eyes widened scarily. "Get them off of me!" she said, her voice raised as she tried pulling at them - to no avail. It was a disturbing sight; her pale, perfect skin marred by the dirty brown, slimy creatures. "Aaron...!"

It took but a second for Hotch to spring into action. He had never before been grateful for his time as a Boy Scout - and then an Eagle Scout - while he was growing up, but now he was. Because Hotch knew only one thing could detach leeches from skin; _fire. _Springing out of the stream, he bounded over to the cabin and ruffled through his bag, searching for the lighter he had brought with him for the s'mores and the campfire. Back to Emily in the blink of an eye, he lifted her into his arms without a word and placed her on the bed of their truck.

"I'm really sorry if this hurts," he said earnestly, holding her gaze steadily. She simply nodded, then downcast her eyes as Hotch brought the open flame to her legs.

~.~.~

"I told you; I hate camping."

Still seated on the truck's bed, Hotch slowly rocked Emily back and forth. Tear stains decorated her dusky cheeks. "I'm sorry," he said for seemingly the hundredth time. Pressing his lips to her crown, he made no attempt to let go of her. "I'm sorry."

She simply shook her head, maneuvered out of his embrace, and turned so that she could stretch out on her side, facing away from Hotch. He felt a pang of guilt shoot through his heart at the action...and at her next whispered words.

"I just want to go home."

_No._ "I know, sweetheart. Maybe..." Hotch sighed, "maybe we can leave here a day earlier. How about that?" he asked, trying for an appealing tone.

But Emily said nothing further.

At a loss as to what else he could do to assuage her, Hotch pushed himself off of the bed and shuffled through the bag at his feet. Pulling out the snack food he had brought with him, he quickly put together a s'more, then hopped back up to where Emily was lying. Reaching for the lighter that was still beside her, he held it underneath the gooey treat until the marshmallow began to turn a nice golden brown.

He managed a small smile as he placed a hand at the small of Emily's back. "Hey," he said softly. "Em...I made you something to eat," he said in a sing-song tone. "It's your favorite..."

But when he hovered over her once more in order to gauge the expression on her face, his heart fell.

She was asleep.

Hotch sighed again, sadder this time. Already, their escapade into the 'wild' had fallen short on his expectations. And he'd had so much more planned...not just for the camping trip, but for something even grander. Something that would make Emily happy...something that would make him the happiest man in the world.

Lifting Emily into his arms for the second time that day, Hotch carried her back inside, with only one thought on his mind.

Things would have to get better.

~.~.~

Emily had slept for three hours or so before some internal clock woke her up. She was confused at first, not recognizing her surroundings...but then, in a flash, everything - all the day's experiences - came rushing back to her. She winced as she ran a hand through her hair, but it wasn't a wince of pain. It was one of guilt.

Logically, she knew she didn't blame Hotch for planning a camping trip. He couldn't have known she hated the wild, or that she would become lunch for a pair of leeches, or that she would be PMSing like a bitch. None of it was his fault; yet she had taken it out on _him,_ made _him_ feel guilty and sad. In reality, all he had wanted to do was separate them from everything and everyone else, so that they could enjoy their surroundings and each other.

He was just being his sweet, gentlemanly self.

Sighing disappointedly at her own actions, Emily rose out of the bed and was nearing the door when she came to yet another realization.

She was in clean, dry clothes.

_Oh, Aaron._

Striding out of the room even more purposefully now, Emily wandered around the cabin in search of Hotch. She had all but given up when she caught sight of him from the corner of her eye. He was lying on one of the chairs in the far end of the main room, doing nothing but staring out the window. He was utterly silent and utterly focused...so focused that he didn't realize she was awake until she placed both her hands on his shoulders and began to knead them skillfully.

He started just slightly, surprised, then leaned back into her embrace. "You're awake," he said quietly, still looking straight forward.

"I am," she answered, leaning forward so that her hair cascaded over his shoulders and tickled his skin. Slowly, she kissed the underside of his jaw. "Listen, Aaron, I'm s-"

Finally, he turned back to gaze at her, his eyes warm. "No, Emily," he said softly. "Don't."

"You just want us to have a good time, and all I can do is whine and -"

"Emily," he chided. "You're not whining."

"But I haven't even given this trip a chance! All I've done is -"

Hotch silenced her with a searing kiss; the only way he knew how to get her to stop talking. He had only meant to disarm her, but nonetheless, he didn't protest when Emily took the kiss a step further, coming around to the front of the couch so that she could swing her legs around his thighs and sit in his lip, giving her easier access to his delectable lips. Without another word, Hotch deepened the kiss, his tongue coming out to engage in an impassioned dance for dominance with hers. In a flurry of lips, tongues, and teeth, their desire for one another gradually ratcheted up higher and higher...until neither of them could take it any more.

"Bedroom?" Emily panted, all thoughts gone from her mind.

Hotch, however, had a different plan. Unable to fathom the thought of walking _all _the way to the bedroom, he stood and tugged her with him, then picked her up and laid her on the polished wooden floor right by the fireplace. She looked up at him saucily, the flames reflecting in her darkened eyes only spurring Hotch on further. Holding her gaze and never letting it go, he slowly, _reverently_ stripped her of her clothes, taking every second that passed as an opportunity to worship her perfect body - and her beautiful soul.

In less than a minute, he had her naked and begging, ready for him and anything he had in mind. To any other man, the latter would have been due invitation to let loose and be absolutely unrestrained...but once again, Hotch had something else in mind. Something softer, something lovelier, something purer.

He wanted to make love to her and never stop.

"Aaron," Emily panted, fisting her hands in his hair and pulling his naked frame to her desperately. "Please...oh, please..."

"Please, what?" he asked, his voice husky and deep with arousal. "Tell me what you want, baby. _Tell me_."

She let out a keening moan as he inserted one, then another, finger deep into her scalding hot core and began to move them in and out. "Y-you," she managed, already almost completely disoriented by lust. She tossed her head about, grinding up against his fingers, _aching_ for more. "Aaron, I need you," she flat-out groaned, fusing her lips to his.

Gazing at her for one more minute, Hotch knew he wouldn't be able to wait any longer; not when she was stretched out underneath him gloriously, holding onto him, pulling him closer, whispering in his ear, kissing him all over. Briefly, he thought about how much he loved her, before he delivered that single thrust; the deliciously sinful movement that fused them together as deeply as possible, joining them into one in every way.

_"Oh,"_ Emily breathed out on a sigh, her eyes falling shut at the onslaught of emotions that came rushing through her.

"Yeah," Hotch groaned, his grip on her bared arms tightening as he began to move, setting a thousand nerve-endings on fire. _"Emily..._God, you feel so good."

She arched her back, pressing her pebbled nipples to his chest. "More," she moaned, pistoning her hips upward to increase the fire burning deep within her.

A feral growl caught in the back of his throat, he increased the speed and depth of his thrusts, reveling in Emily's resulting cries of pleasure; but nonetheless, he held back, wanting her to be able to feel, with every steamy stroke, just how much he cared for her. "You're sure?" he rasped, his heart thudding faster than a hummingbird's wings as he gazed down at the vision beneath him; all soft, porcelain skin, cherry red lips, and ebony hair.

Emily didn't waste time on replying. Moving so that she was now on top, she braced her hands on his corded shoulders, air whooshing out of her lungs as she lifted herself up and then sank back down on his steel-hard erection at the rhythm she had been craving. Pleasure surged through her from head to toe, and she knew that it wouldn't be much longer before she was seeing stars; it wouldn't be much longer at all.

The small main room of the cabin was filled with the sound of their mixed moans and heaving breaths, with an occasional whimper falling from Emily's lips - and Hotch's as well. As tension continued to coil tighter and tighter deep in his belly, Hotch took more of an active hold on Emily's waist, and worked her on his cock, almost letting go right there; the pleasure was just _too much_. Emily, too, felt that way. With every stroke and synchronized movement, her sensitized clit rubbed hard against his pubic bone. It was just the push she needed to tumble over that coveted precipice. On Hotch's next thrust, she was _there_, adrenaline and white hot ecstasy coursing through her veins and causing a hearty scream of _"Aaron!" _to erupt from Emily's lips. She had just barely began to catch her breath when Hotch increased the pace of his thrusts, desperately bringing about his own peak. Capturing Emily's swollen lips for one more bruising kiss, he hummed against the soft skin of her jaw as he tried in vain to steady his rapidly beating heart. It was just too good a feeling; _she_ was just too good a feeling. Almost...addictive.

As Emily nestled further into his arms, the fireplace warming their sweaty skin, Hotch remembered what he had wanted to tell her earlier, when they had been in the water. Briefly, he wondered what she would say...how she would react. He smiled against her crown as she peered up at him through impossibly long lashes. Her lips, too, curled into an almost shy smile. "Hi," she breathed out, her fingers dancing sweetly against the crook of his arm.

"Hi," he returned, his voice rumbling through his chest. "You were -"

"Amazing," she interrupted. "_You _were amazing."

Again, Hotch let out a small grin. He was covering her body with his to keep her warm when a sudden realization came to mind.

They hadn't used any protection.

Instead of immediately becoming concerned, however, one single vision popped into his head; a vision of Emily, sitting up in bed, her hands resting atop her pregnant belly. She was glowing; he had never seen her look more beautiful in his life. They would start a family together...with a little girl, maybe. Or a little boy who would look up to Jack. A little boy with dark hair, fair skin, Emily's nose, and his dimples...

And there would be a diamond ring on Emily's finger. They would be happy.

At that, Hotch pushed himself up into a seating position, bringing Emily up with him. "Can you give me a second?" he murmured into her ear, his lips resting against the skin of her neck. "I have something I need to get."

"Okay," Emily said, smiling. Pulling her shirt over her head, she watched as he exited the room, grabbing his clothes as he stood and walked away. "Hurry back," she called, her eyes sparkling.

~.~.~

"Close your eyes."

Emily raised an eyebrow in confusion; but nonetheless, she did as she was told.

Staving down his nerves for the time being, Hotch took a deep, deep breath before taking Emily's hands in his and getting down on one knee beside her.

"Can I look now?" she asked, unsure of what was going on. _Could he be -_

"You can look," Hotch echoed, opening the small velvet box beside him.

Her eyes fluttering open, it took a good minute or so before Emily could fully process the scene before her. When she did, a sweet gasp slipped past her lips. "Aaron..."

He gave her a watery smile. "Emily," he began. "I know we haven't always seen eye-to-eye; this trip is evidence enough of that," he said, laughing it off as Emily bit back her playful smirk. "But...I think this trip represents something more to us. To me, it shows that, while there may sometimes be bumps in the roads we travel, we always manage to find away to enjoy ourselves. And that really is something great. Together, I've seen us march through the hardest of times; but we've always made it out in one piece. That, I believe, is in large part to how well we interact with one another. We're not just partners in the field, we're partners in real life. We're partners..." he swallowed thickly, "and I would love to make that as official as can be. I want to be able to show you off to the whole world, and say, 'You see this gorgeous woman right here? That's my wife. I'm the luckiest man alive because I wake up beside her each morning; I'm the luckiest man alive because I have her in my life.' Please..." He sought her pretty brown-eyed gaze and held it. "I love you so much more than you will ever know. The experiences we've shared have been the best of my life." He gave their intertwined hands a gentle squeeze. "Emily Elizabeth Prentiss...will you marry me?"

Emily hiccuped through the haze of tears obstructing her vision. "Aaron," she breathed, her shoulders trembling just slightly. "You are the sweetest man I know. You arranged this camping trip with the best intentions in mind; you made me feel at home when I felt so unbelievably uncomfortable; you make me feel so loved every single day." She kissed his hands. "You really didn't have to ask me, you know. I'm certain that I've always loved you; ever since that day, years ago, when I walked into your office. You're a very special man," she choked out. "So, _yes_. _Yes, _I'll marry you, _of course_ I'll marry you."

For a split second, the room was silent.

And then, Hotch let out a quiet sob and pulled Emily as close to him as possible. Slipping the ring on her slender finger, he covered her mouth in a profoundly heartfelt kiss, praying up to the heavens that, through just that one single embrace, Emily would be able to understand just what she meant to him.

And she did.

Pulling away from the kiss only slightly, Hotch cupped her face in his hands, an expression of pure happiness etched deep in his features; deep in his heart, deep in his soul. "You see?" he teased. "Camping isn't so bad after all, is it?"

Emily couldn't help it; she threw her head back in jubilant laughter. "No...no, camping isn't bad at all."

**THE END.**

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong><strong><strong>Was that sweet enough for you? I sure hope so. :) Please leave me a review telling me what you thought; I <em>love<em> hearing from you, and I appreciate and treasure every single review I get, no matter the length. No account needed!********


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